Turkey seems to be indicating that "while its strident anti-Israel posture has been popular among Arabs, it has been at its own expense, undermining its ability to play the role of regional power broker by leaving it with little leverage to intercede in the Gaza conflict," Tim Arango reports at The New York Times.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) walks with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat (R) before her meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas (not pictured) in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 21, 2012. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

"It's Palestinians who have the right to defend themselves," argues Seumas Milne at The Guardian. "The US and Britain stand behind Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Justice requires a change in the balance of forces on the ground," he writes.

CAIRO - The United States and Egypt are returning to a "stronger base" in bilateral ties despite tensions and human rights concerns, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday after talks with his Egyptian counterpart.